The invention relates to an applicator and method for applying fluid or paste product to targeted surface. By way of example, the invention can be used for applying fluid or paste product to hair or hair-like objects (e.g. eyelashes, eyebrows, leg hair, head hair, arm hair or mustache) for cosmetic, personal or medical care purpose.
When a fluid or paste product such as mascara or other hair treatment product is applied to hair or hair-like objects such as eyelashes, eyebrows, hand hair, head hair, leg hair or mustache, there is a great risk of staining or smudging the skin with the product. Such risk is greater if the hair-like objects are short or the user wants to coat the complete length of the hair. When such staining or smudging happens it is usually necessary for the user to clean the smudged skin, especially if the product has a darker color or is toxic to the skin. Such cleaning, besides being time consuming, is a difficult and tedious task. If the skin right below the hair-like objects is stained it is usually impossible to clean the skin without touching the coated hair. This may cause the product on the hair to be transferred to the skin, thus worsening the cleaning work and requiring re-application of the product to the hair. In addition, the cleaning normally requires rubbing the skin with tissue or other porous materials, which may cause redness or itching of the skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,499 to Fuentes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,888 to Leigh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,170 to Kassai, U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,624 to Kobe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,658 to Green and U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,364 to Inzana and Terrett taught various eye make-up shields to cover the skin prior to applying mascara product to eyelashes with an applicator. Such shields require the user to hold it with one hand while the user applies mascara with other hands. This makes the application more complex. In addition, such shield is not able to prevent the skin directly below the hair-like objects from being stained.
Obviously, both consumers and manufacturers desire a convenient and easy method and solution to allow the application of liquid or paste to hair-like objects like eyelashes, eyebrows, head hair or mustache without smudging or staining the skin below or adjacent to the hair.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an applicator and method for consumers to apply fluid or paste product to hair or hair-like objects without smudging or contaminating the skin below or adjacent to the hair or hair-like objects.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for applying an amount of fluid or paste product to an applicator in a way so that the applicator has a significantly reduced chance to contaminate the skin or surface below or adjacent the hair or hair-like objects to be coated.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an applicator and method for allowing a user to apply product to and comb the hair or hair-like objects simultaneously.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an applicator having an indicator to indicate how much product is applied for a particular application and how much product remains in the applicator, thereby helping the consumers to avoid events that the applicator is out of product when it is mostly needed.
Still other objects will become apparent after reading the accompanying drawings and description. It should be understood that the invention could still be practiced without performing one or more of the objects set forth above.
Accordingly, the invention provides an applicator for applying fluid or paste product to hair or hair-like objects on skin or a surface. The applicator comprises a handle, an application member for holding an amount of product and applying the product to the objects, and a shield for covering at least part of the application member to prevent the surface from contacting the application member during the use of the applicator, thereby preventing the surface from being contaminated by the product. The shield has at least one opening configured to allow the hair or hair-like objects to reach the product on the application member, thereby causing the objects to be coated by the product. In one embodiment of the invention, the shield is movable between a first position, in which the shield covers the application member or a particular part of the application member, and a second position, in which the shield is away from the application member or cover a different part of the application member. In another embodiment of the invention, the shield is attached to or formed on the application member.
A product loading system is used to load an amount of product selectively to the application member while leaving the shield substantially free of the product. The loading system has a dosage indicator for showing the user how much product is used for a particular application and a level indicator for showing the user how much product is left and when the applicator needs to be replaced. In one embodiment of the invention, the product loading system is adapted to load the product to the application member when the shield is away from the application member and the shield is moved to cover the application member or part of the application member prior to use. This product loading system comprises a container for a supply of product having an inlet and a wiper mounted at the inlet. The handle enables the application member to be inserted into the container and withdrawn therefrom in such a way that excess product is wiped off said application member at the wiper. The inlet is configured to prevent the shield from entering the container. Alternately, this product loading system may comprise a first container for a supply of product, a second container having an inlet configured to prevent the shield from entering the second container for containing the application member, a pump for dispensing an amount of product from the first container via a passageway to the second container, and a distributor mounted at the inlet for distributing the amount of product to said application member and removing excess product.
In another embodiment of the invention, the product loading system is adapted to load the product to the application member when the application member is at least partially covered by the shield. The product loading system comprises a container for a supply of product, a pump for dispensing an amount of product from the container via a passageway towards the application member, and a distributor comprising at least one distributor each of which has a free edge configured to apply the product to the application member and to remove excess product. In one configuration, each distributor head is adapted to move according to its own predetermined path to apply the product to the application member, thereby enabling the distributor head to stay away from the shield. In another configuration, the application member is adapted to move against the free edge of the distribution head to cause the product to be distributed to the application member. The distributor may be mounted at an inlet of a second container for containing the application member and a chamber may be provided to confine the amount of product from the pump and to prevent the amount of product from reaching the shield. Alternately, this product loading system may comprise a container for containing a supply of product, a passageway for fluid communication between the container and application member, which application member contains capillary openings for drawing fluid from the container to the application member via the passageway by capillarity or capillary force, and a fluid keeper for preventing the product in the container from flowing out of the application member as a result of gravity.
Another aspect of the invention is a method for applying product to hair or hair-like objects using an applicator. The applicator comprises a handle, an application member connected to the handle for applying fluid or paste product to the hair or hair-like objects, and a shield adapted to cover at least part of the application member to prevent the skin or surface to which the hair or hair like objects are attached or adjacent from contacting the at least part of the application member covered by the shield, thereby reducing the risk of contaminating the surface with the product during the use of the applicator, and to allow the hair or hair-like objects to reach the product held by the at least part of the application member covered by the shield, thereby causing the hair or hair-like objects to be coated by the product. The method includes steps of holding the handle of the applicator, selecting the hair or hair-like objects to be treated, adjusting the handle position to ensure that the shield is between the surface to which the hair or hair like objects are attached or adjacent and the application member, moving the applicator toward the surface until the shield touches the surface or the base portion of the hair or hair-like objects reaches the product held by the at least part of said application member covered by the shield, moving said applicator in a way such as along the hair or hair-like objects from base to tip or along the surface from one area to another to transfer the product from the application member to the hair or hair-like objects. The shield can be configured to comb hair or hair-like objects thereby allowing the hair or hair-like objects, which tends to adhere to each other after being coated with the product, to be separated or combed during the step of moving the applicator in a way such as along the hair or hair-like objects from base to tip or along the surface from one area to another.